All this week we’re observing Chalica: an emerging holiday where, each day, we’re invited to live more deeply into our seven Unitarian Universalist Principles through ordinary, simple acts. These principles articulate the core ethics of our liberal religious tradition. What happens when we put our values in action?
Day 3
We covenant to affirm and promote…
Accepting one another and encouraging spiritual growth.
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Youth Version: We are free to learn together
Have you ever had the feeling you don’t fit in? Like you’re not dressed properly for the place you visit, or that you don’t know the correct in-speak everyone else is using? The Third Principle is a call to build a community where everyone is accepted as they are, where no one feels they don’t fit in just because they’re different. There is a growing fear of difference in our nation, especially around those of different cultures, languages, religions, or sexual/gender identities. In Unitarian Universalism, we strive to be.. well… Universal! We believe in a love that leaves no one out.
But being accepted as we are doesn’t mean we don’t believe in change. Each of us is a work in progress, an imperfect broken human being that could, honestly, do a little better at being our best self. Rather than beat each other down with guilt or threats of divine punishment, we believe that inside you is incredible potential, and we want to inspire and love you into that potential.
How do we accept each other, while at the same time encouraging each other to grow? It’s a delicate balancing act. The key, as always, is love. We accept each other because we want to be accepted, and once we know we are loved our heart can open up to consider ways we might need to be transformed. Together.
Suggested activities for today:
.. Read from a sacred text (the Bible, Qu’ran, etc.) that is new or unfamiliar to you, and find something that resonates
.. Learn about other religious points of view. Maybe start here, by learning about the wide diversity of religious thought in Unitarian Universalism. https://www.uua.org/beliefs/what-we-believe/beliefs
.. Learn about multiculturalism .. https://www.uua.org/multiculturalism/introduction
.. Think of someone you’ve wronged, and apologize to them
